O.I.L. hunt preperation...

[Steelhead]

I drew a WA branch bull tag (archery), so did my hunting partner. I consider this to be a once in a lifetime hunt. If I could choose one place to hunt this year it would be this unit, see trailcam pic!! He's this years target if he made it through last year...
Getting this hunt makes me happy that I didn’t draw OR, MT or NM.
There will be bugles and bulls to chase from day one. I think we have 7 trailcameras deployed at the moment so we will no doubt have the proverbial “hit list”.
This is an area that we are very familiar with and have hunted during the 'spike-only' seasons for years. We have pictures, videos and memories of calling in big bulls that we couldn’t shoot. However the fact that we will be holding tags that allow us to take one of these big bulls changes things dramatically. I know that I have personally had situations that I could have taken a big bull with a quality shot but looking back at it I usually just bask in the moment of calling in a big bull and don’t think too much about the “what if I had a tag…” aspect. There is a real chance to take a very high scoring bull but lately with animals and fish I put them into simple categories (standard, nice, big, huge, etc). Of course I would like to take a gigantic bull but I’ll be as happy as a man can be with an ethical kill of a “really nice” one. My main goal is making and taking a quality shot when the opportunity arises. I don’t plan on passing up an easy shot on a pretty big elk to hold out for a huge one. I may or may not pass on bulls in the 280-300” class, I'll try to pass but it will depend on the situation…
FYI, I always go into elk season in great shape and practice shooting religiously for about two months before and during the season.
My question is what am I missing? What am I not considering? For those of you that have drawn the much coveted elk tags or may have considered things that I have not please throw your .02 in!! Thanks.

 

[mdunc8]

My .02 - Don't pass that bull up

 

[Mudranger1]

Just my thoughts. He looks a little bigger than the 280-300" you speak of

 

[Steelhead]

I think he's quite a bit bigger!! and he's on the HIT list not the pass list

 

[Big Fin]

Sounds like you will have the physical and practice issues under control. Having a "glory tag" such as this is as much a mental planning thing as it is a physical challenge.

Example - I had an early rifle elk tag for Unit 10 in AZ in 2005. I went down a week early and scouted. Found some really nice bulls and two nights before season, saw a bull that is bigger than anything I have seen dead or alive since then. A friend who lives in the area was helping me, and he has a 392 official gross bull on his wall. This bull was way bigger than the one on his wall. We were both excited.

This was the first "glory tag" I ever had. I decided this bull was the one I wanted and would forsake all others, until the last day. But, I didn't want to mess it up, so I let him be for the next day and a half, prior to season opening. I figured his distinct bugle would be easy to relocate, even if I did not see him physically.

Here is where I made a mistake. Not in picking him as the bull I wanted, but how I proceeded from there. I should have spent every minute of the next 48 hours following that bull. No, I went looking for fall back bulls, thinking I might need to know where they were hanging.

I found some other nice bulls, but in the process, lost track of the big one. When season opened, I went looking for him, but really was at a disadvantage, having let him leave my sight after initially seeing him. I should have stuck with him until absolute dark, watching his every move, learning more about his bugle, the sound of the satellites, where they were watering/feeding/bedding.

Maybe most other guys would have done what I am saying I should have done. I was worried that hanging too close would have maybe moved him too far off. And, I was already thinking about the fall back plan, not wanting to come home without a nice elk.

Finally, we found him one pre-dawn morning in a full moon, watering on day four of a six-day hunt. Set up above his unique sounding bugle and the chorus of harassing satellites. Thinking when the sun came up, he would be coming my direction. Right at daylight, some antelope hunters came to the tank and shot an antelope, scaring the bull and his herd to parts unknown. Never heard/saw him again.

I was too passive. I should have been down at that tank right at daylight, not above the tank. I should have been shadowing their every move and shot him as soon as it was legal shooting light.

My worry about coming home empty caused me to lose track of him for three days. Then my passive approach caused me to mess up the one chance that finally came my way.

Scout hard. Find the bull you want and don't let him out of your sight. Even at night, be out there listening and following, sleeping during the day when he is bedding. And once you see him, go after him hard. You might not get a second chance.

Yeah, I shot a nice bull, bigger than anything I had shot to that time. I was green to the pressure these glory tags can have. It was a really fun hunt, which is the bottom line, but would have been more fun if I had known how to pick a bull, follow him relentlessly, and kill him.

Good luck.

 

[Big Slick]

I think he's quite a bit bigger!! and he's on the HIT list not the pass list

Maybe the Pass through list!

 

[Flatrock]

My .02 - Don't pass that bull up

I second that.

 

[Randy49er]

All good solid advise, Good luck!!!

 

[Bambistew]

WTF is OIL? I see this posted on Utard sites, and can't figure it out. Is it limited entery or what?

If you were a Utard I'd say pass him, but since you're a normal person SHOOT!

 

[bmack]

WTF is OIL? !

Once In a Lifetime

 

[nbell]

Best of luck steelhead. Cant wait to see what you guys kill. One day I'll draw one (hopefully)

 

[Big O]

Best of luck steelhead. Cant wait to see what you guys kill. One day I'll draw one (hopefully)

Same here. I get tired of watching those big bulls walk away every year.

 

[grizzly5028]

Great bull, hope you get him!

 

[Sixpointbull]

First and foremost...Have FUN. A special tag is not a good way to stress yourself out. In a good area like that you can be somewhat selective, as well as aggressive to see a lot of bulls. As hard as it sounds, unless you have a couple very large bulls patterned, shoot any bull that is within your "range" of bull you want.

 

[Steelhead]

I will have a few large bulls "located" when the season opens so I will know that when I'm in those specific areas and I hear bugles or call in a bull it will most likely be one that I've seen in the area, either in person or on camera. I'm not planning on being super picky or getting myself stressed out. I'm thinking about writing that I would like something 320"+ but what if something 310" comes in and offers a good shot? Knowing me I doubt that I would pass up that opportunity. I don't plan on being stressed or putting pressure on myself. This will be fun for me. There are a few things that I expect to happen: I will be in proper phisical shape to hunt wherever I want for as long as I want, I will work very hard to hunt correctly, I will screw up at some point ( I always do, but I'm ok with that), I will have an opportunity on a mature bull elk.